My
great garden. This is such a wonderful time of year because the
pumpkins and squash are growing and there are still tomatoes on the
vine. It is a great transition period. The roses are in bloom and the
holly berries are ripening. The leaves are falling and there are few
determind peppers and eggplants hanging on.

BK:
Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything
in its place?

No.
I have to have things in order. I am a big list person – I have a
list for everything. I think the day that I have a list to keep my
lists then I will know I have gone too far.

BK:
What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need
to write?

Something
cooking on the stove! You can’t write a cookbook without cracking a
heck uv a lot of eggs!

BK:
Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background
noise?

Just
the sounds of the butter sizzling and steaks grilling.

BK:
Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your
book...

J
uicy

O
riginal

A
strological

N
ibbles

BK:
How did your writing journey begin?

The
minute I read my first book.

BK:
Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family
describe you?

You
would have to ask them.

BK:
What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got
published or not?

I
tried to make French Onion Soup with lamb not beef – never attempt
that at home!

BK:
Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most
surprised to know.

Thank
you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been
great getting to know more about you and your book, and wish you the
best of success!

BK
Walker

About
the Author - Joan Porte

Joan
started "playing" with Astrology when she was in grammar
school. She always had a fixation with the planets - Pluto being her
favorite (surprise she is Scorpio Sun!) Yes, Pluto is still a planet
to her! She put her astrology "toys" away when she grew up
and went into the "real world," sadly convinced that it was
time to do more important things. The universe and her North Node in
Sagittarius woke her up in her mid-thirties after which she began an
intensive study of Western astrology.

According
to Joan, "Modern Man takes for granted the Sun and how its
energy propels and sustains life. Moon energy controls the tides yet
we ignore the other more personal influences it has on our bodies and
lives. We have lost the art of appreciating and reading the stars as
messengers from the god and goddess. Humanity has disconnected from
its sourceand consequently suffers emotionally, spiritually and
physically."

"Each
person is born with a map - a soul map - that is his or her
astrological chart. It is a map through the maze of life that shows
the karma we need to balance our soul's desire for a life that leads
to enhanced soul growth. I simply read the map - illustrating where
you have been and where you are going to make your journey through
life less bumpy." With this cook book Joan is combining her
astrological knowledge with her lifelong love of cooking in her own
inimitable way.She
is the author of the blog Karmic
Astrology.Her
other book is Fortyish: Lessons For the Ages From a Baby Boomer.

A
new breed of cookbook that combines personal astrology with a love
for preparing and sharing delicious meals. Astrologer and gastronome
Joan Porte brings a new, fun twist to cooking by showing anyone who
loves to cook how to personalize a menu for your family and friends.
Beautiful photographs complement the more than 120 featured recipes
organized by zodiac sign. Choose a dish or plan a multi-course meal
with selections from: Appetizers, Soups, Pasta, Veggies & Fruit,
Meat & Fish, and Dessert for each of the twelve signs. SIGNS OF
THE TINES is a heart-warming and mouth-watering invitation to eat in
alignment with our stars!–
Adam
Gainsburg / Soulsign

The
295-page book with more than 120 recipes is written to celebrate a
unique pairing of food and astrology.

Discover
why:

•
Scorpios
have
a craving for pasta puttanesca• Librans
feel
grounded when they dig into a chocolate mousse parfait•
Cancerians
stand
tall with their bowl of Brunswick stew• Virgoans
set
aside their healthy-conscious habits when faced with chocolate
raspberry ramekins• Aquarians
respond
to the sustainable fish used in Pollock with berry prosecco sauce•
Pisceans
beat
a common ailment when feasting on quinoa with roasted root veggies.

"These
recipes are taken from a number of sources; some are family gems,
others I've concocted and tweaked over the years," says author
Joan Porte.

The
home cook will discover how astrology as a source for new food ideas
and new ways to entertain friends. And the astrology enthusiast will
discover how cooking can be a new use for astrology as a way to add
more meaning to the daily ritual of eating we perform to survive and
thrive.

Tomatoes
Stuffed With Artichokes & Feta

Taurus
is
a bit confusing when it comes to color. Bulls are drawn to the color
red; however, the color associated with Taurus is emerald green,
symbolizing the pastures in which they love to laze comfortably.
Therefore, I offer here a very red veggie dish with a dash of green.

One
of the first dishes I made when I was a kid were tomatoes stuffed
with chicken and tuna salads. I thought they were just the neatest
things. As I grew as a person and a cook, I encountered many recipes
that stuffed tomatoes with some kind of creamy spinach messes or ones
that were all breadcrumbs and cheese.

This
recipe is my grown-up version of the stuffed tomato that embraces the
artichoke as well and is easy enough for the sometimes lazy Taurus to
make. (Did I say lazy? Oops. I hope they don’t stampede.)

Cut
the stems off of the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp, leaving the
shell. Set the pulp aside in a small dish. Drain the artichoke hearts
in a colander.

Heat
the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Rough chop the
tomato pulp and add to the pan; cook down until most of the moisture
of the tomato is gone. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until
soft – about 2 minutes. (You may have to drizzle more olive oil
into the pan to keep the veggies from sticking.)

Remove
the cooked vegetables to a small dish to cool and add the artichoke
hearts to the pan. Cook until they begin to turn golden brown.
Squeeze the juice of the lemon in a small dish (watch the pits) and
pour over the hearts. Let the lemon juice cook down and add the
olives. Stir in the oregano and remove immediately from the heat. Add
all of the vegetables together in one dish and let the mixture cool
to the touch.

Fill
the tomatoes ½ way with artichoke mixture, add a layer of feta, fill
the tomato to the top with more artichoke mixture and top with more
feta. Place a basil leaf on top of each tomato.

Place tomatoes
on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. The cheese should
be melted and lightly brown.

Serve warm.

*Depending
on the size of your tomatoes you may have some artichokes left over.
The mixture is great reheated and used as a topping for steaks or
salads.